Addressing the Impact of Race and Ethnicity on Musculoskeletal Spine Care in the United States
The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc. April 2024; 106-A,:631-638
The JRGOS May Journal Club article, Addressing the Impact of Race and Ethnicity on Musculoskeletal Spine Care in the United States, by Joshua Adjei, MD, Melissa Tang, MD, Shaina Lipa, MD, MPH, Anthony Oyekan, MD, Barrett Woods, MD, Addisu Mesfin, MD, and MaCalus V. Hogan, MD, MBA is authored by both Gladden Member Residents and Gladden Board Members and published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery in April 2024.
The lead author, Joshua Adjei, MD, grew up in the Bronx, New York and spent his high school years in Ghana. Dr. Adjei graduated from Cornell University where he majored in Neuroscience and Behavior. Dr. Adjei graduated from Weill Cornell Medical School where he completed a research year as the inaugural Leon Root Research Fellow in Pediatric Orthopaedics at the Hospital for Special Surgery. Dr. Adjei is completing his residency at the University of Pittsburg and will begin his Spine Fellowship at New York University in July 2024.
Joshua Adjei, MD, University of Pittsburg PGY5
Spine Fellow, New York University
The figure contained in the JBJS article (pictured below) identifies many areas in spine care that are influenced by race necessitating a “comprehensive and multifaceted mitigation approach.” The authors point out that “acknowledging the historical role of racial discrimination in health care is crucial, as it has contributed to the establishment of social determinants of health, as well as individual and systemic biases.”
A chart of some of the discussed areas of spine care influenced by race. CSF= cerebrospinal fluid, and CES= cauda equina syndrome.
The article emphasizes that health-care policy reform is imperative and “should prioritize equal access to care and implement initiatives incentivizing equity in spine care and outcomes.”The article closes with stating that there continues to be an urgent “need for sustained support for research addressing spine care inequities at both governmental and institutional levels to gain deeper insights into the causes, effects, and lasting solutions in the domain of spine surgery.”
Pictured Left to Right: Josh Adjei, MD, PGY5, JRGOS Board of Director Lorraine Boakye, MD, JRGOS President Susan Ellen Stephens, Board of Director and Co-Chair Bootcamp L. Nathan Gause, MD.
Pictured Left to Right: Cleveland Clinic Foundation Will Sheppard, MD, Cleveland Clinic Foundation Spine Fellow, Taylor Patrick, MD, Josh Adjei, MD, PGY5, Sayo Lawal, MD PGY5.
